The Mule Alternative: The Saddle Mule in the American West [Paperback]

Mike Stamm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1993

In The Mule Alternative dozens of early western pioneers share their most exciting experiences with horses, mules, and oxen in challenging raging rivers, hostile Indians, unforgiving mountains, ferocious storms, killer deserts answer questions that living persons and modern experience can't. Questions like:
*Why did many early westerners prefer to ride a mule?
*How do mules really compare to horses?
*Why were oxen popular with last century's pioneers, and how did oxen
compare with horses and mules?
*Is a mule a sensible alternative for a modern rider?

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

...a must-have for anyone with an interest in the subject is Mike Stamm's The Mule Alternative. Modest in appearance and presentation, The Mule Alternative is packed with insight into mules and the history of their use in the United States. Stamm discusses the viability of the mule through the letters and diaries of historical figures. A unique approach to say the least, but one that works very well indeed. Practical and poignant (many of the historical passages concern the ravages of war and exploration) by turn,The Mule Alternative has the ability to hook and hold the reader's attention. History buffs and equestrians with an affinity for the mighty mule will be delighted with this book.

From The New Yorker

Wildlife biologist Mike Stamm began research several years ago into a number of questions concerning the historic use of mules during the settlement of the Old West. He wanted to know why many early westerners preferred mules to horses as saddle animals: how mules compared to horses in terms of endurance, hardiness, surefootedness, longevity, and manageability, and why mules have fallen into relative disfavor today. Using historic diaries of early travelers, including mountain men, traders, soldiers, and settlers. Stamm puts together a remarkable testimony in praise of the saddle mule. Stamm includes excellent historical photos and maps in this book. His research will be useful to both mule and horse owners and everyone interested in transportation during the settlement of the West.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Medicine Wolf Pr (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964066882
• ISBN-13: 978-0964066885
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,148,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Well-Balanced Discussion Based on Evidence, May 27, 1998

By 

Holly Ingraham "ailurophile" (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mule Alternative: The Saddle Mule in the American West (Paperback)

Stamm is as willing to decry the school of mule fanciers who can see no faults in the animal as horse people who ignore the mule's existence. The book was put together to help a rider decide which animal best suits his or her individual usage, but it has a more important historical result. With his vast collection of quotes from all first-person journals and reports, he demolishes our usually distorted view of the mule in the West as an animal only for the poor or eccentric -- the beasts normally cost 50% more than horses, and was usually in short supply! I recommend this book to anyone researching the West, researching equid use, or looking for a mount surefooted enough to follow the worst deer tracks in the high mountains and tough enough to do it all day for a week.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate, August 31, 2000

By 

Shirley Wehr (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mule Alternative: The Saddle Mule in the American West (Paperback)

This book will become a classic of livestock use in the West. Highly readable and entertaining, The Mule Alternative documents the little-known reality that mules were used extensively as saddle animals in western exploration. Beyond historical documentation though, the author affords the reader powerful insights for understanding why many early westerners preferred mules, why mules survived hard service better than horses, why mules can be difficult to manage, and about mule usefulness for modern "explorers".

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book, January 17, 2012

By 

Vickie T. (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mule Alternative: The Saddle Mule in the American West (Paperback)

Yes, this book is about mules, but it is primarily a history book, filled with mule stories discovered by the author in the journals of early explorers and settlers of the American West. Since I am interested in both mules and American history, this book was a complete delight for me. I have already recommended it to a number of friends.

The book is an easy and entertaining read, being mostly a collection of brief, and often humorous, anecdotes from historical documents. The weakest parts of the book are those sections where the author shifts gears and attempts to provide information about the use and management of the modern mule. There are other books that do a better job of addressing these topics. Such sections give the book a bit of a split personality and detract from the much more interesting historical focus.

If, like me, you love mules and also have an interest in the history of the American West, you will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.